Light and engineering education in Russia is now bringing forward new priorities, which are reflected in the updated major professional educational programs both bachelor’s and master’s degree. The modern labour market in the field of light and engineering today requires the training of highly qualified specialists who possess modern information technologies, are technically literate, who know regulatory regulations and environmental requirements.This trend is observed not only in Russia, but also noted by European researchers. In the labour market, the most in demand are engineering and technical workers with knowledge of intelligent lighting control systems, the Internet of Things technologies, with ability to implement energy saving measures, as well as specialists who are able to develop and implement lighting design projects, both indoor and outdoor. The analysis of the major professional educational programs implemented in Ogarev Mordovia State University showed that the timely release of professional standards (PS) 29.013 and 29.014 allowed us to formulate professional competencies (PC) of graduates of the lighting profile, which are relevant today and will contribute to the successful career building of young professionals. Much attention is paid to the formation and development of digital competencies of specialists in the lighting industry when updating major professional educational programs. Disciplines that allow engineering and technical specialists to develop artistic and aesthetic skills and imaginative thinking are introduced. Students learn through a project-based approach, consider multi-variant solutions, getting acquainted with the current nomenclature and databases of lighting devices (LD) from various manufacturers. By creating projects, they not only learn to develop lighting installations (LI) in accordance with the regulatory quantitative and qualitative parameters, but also gain practical design skills, taking into account the visual light and colour comfort, style design. They learn to implement intelligent lighting control systems, design LD based on LED light sources. In order to further improve the educational process, it is necessary to involve more practitioners, to involve students in the implementation of real projects. Strengthening the interdisciplinary nature of graduate training, whose planned activities are related to the development of lighting design projects, requires the preparation of educational and methodological support.